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When the abortion bill was looking likely to pass (as was always likely with our current parliament), attempts were made by pro-life MPs during the Committee stage to ‘soften’ the harms of the bill and to take the extreme aspects away from this flawed bill.
Below is a record of how the MPs voted on the key votes during the abortion debate – including the final vote. As you will see, most pro-abortion MPs voted against all and any attempts to have provisions included in the law relating to foetal pain, born alive abortions, parental notification and late term abortions, amongst others.
It is also disturbing to note that some MPs eventually opposed the bill, but also opposed any attempts to remove the extreme elements of this already dangerous bill.
The proposed amendments that were all defeated (and are recorded in our voting record sheet in order of the list below) were:
- BORN ALIVE: requirement that a qualified health practitioner who performed an abortion that results in the birth of a child after an attempted abortion has a duty to provide the child with appropriate medical care and treatment, no different than the duty owed to provide medical care and treatment to any other child born. Because of international experience, it was vital to have an express provision in the abortion legislation to reinforce this obligation.
- SEX SELECTION: explicit ban on sex selection abortions which do happen both here and overseas
- DISABILITY: explicit ban on disability discrimination abortions
- PARENTS: parental involvement – abortion for minors treated like other health procedures. In all other health contexts, the health practitioner is required to assess the child’s capacity prior to a medical procedure and, where capacity is lacking, obtain the consent of a parent or guardian. Why can parents be deliberately excluded from this procedure?
- FOETAL PAIN: requirement for abortion procedures post 20 weeks to ensure that foetus does not feel pain (as per the Animal Welfare Act which requires vets to ensure that animals don’t feel pain!)
- LATE TERM: abortions post 20 weeks only for extreme circumstances
- CONSCIENCE: keeping conscientious objection standards the same as they currently are (the bill currently weakens the protections)
- REFERENDUM: a referendum so that we all get a say on this crucial issue, similar to euthanasia
Click on the charts below to see the full voting record
It appears that the majority of MPs who supported legalising abortion and removing any legal recognition of the unborn child also wanted an extreme radical abortion law that has very little restriction.
Sadly, they got their way; and our children, women and families (and society) will suffer for it.
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